diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index d800bda4d..c1a325bb5 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ Features added
 
 * #4271: sphinx-build supports an option called ``-j auto`` to adjust numbers of
   processes automatically.
+* Napoleon: added option to specify custom section tags.
+
 
 Features removed
 ----------------
diff --git a/sphinx/ext/napoleon/__init__.py b/sphinx/ext/napoleon/__init__.py
index dbe542635..8198a8bf5 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/napoleon/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/napoleon/__init__.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ class Config(object):
         napoleon_use_param = True
         napoleon_use_rtype = True
         napoleon_use_keyword = True
+        napoleon_custom_sections = None
 
     .. _Google style:
        https://google.github.io/styleguide/pyguide.html
@@ -241,6 +242,19 @@ class Config(object):
 
             :returns: *bool* -- True if successful, False otherwise
 
+    napoleon_custom_sections : :obj:`list` (Defaults to None)
+        Add a list of custom sections to include, expanding the list of parsed sections.
+
+        The entries can either be strings or tuples, depending on the intention:
+          * To create a custom "generic" section, just pass a string.
+          * To create an alias for an existing section, pass a tuple containing the
+            alias name and the original, in that order.
+
+        If an entry is just a string, it is interpreted as a header for a generic
+        section. If the entry is a tuple/list/indexed container, the first entry
+        is the name of the section, the second is the section key to emulate.
+
+
     """
     _config_values = {
         'napoleon_google_docstring': (True, 'env'),
@@ -254,7 +268,8 @@ class Config(object):
         'napoleon_use_ivar': (False, 'env'),
         'napoleon_use_param': (True, 'env'),
         'napoleon_use_rtype': (True, 'env'),
-        'napoleon_use_keyword': (True, 'env')
+        'napoleon_use_keyword': (True, 'env'),
+        'napoleon_custom_sections': (None, 'env')
     }
 
     def __init__(self, **settings):
diff --git a/sphinx/ext/napoleon/docstring.py b/sphinx/ext/napoleon/docstring.py
index 6e3aaeaf6..530cec203 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/napoleon/docstring.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/napoleon/docstring.py
@@ -170,6 +170,9 @@ class GoogleDocstring(UnicodeMixin):
                 'yield': self._parse_yields_section,
                 'yields': self._parse_yields_section,
             }  # type: Dict[unicode, Callable]
+
+        self._load_custom_sections()
+
         self._parse()
 
     def __unicode__(self):
@@ -530,6 +533,23 @@ class GoogleDocstring(UnicodeMixin):
                     line and
                     not self._is_indented(line, self._section_indent)))
 
+    def _load_custom_sections(self):
+        # type: () -> None
+
+        if self._config.napoleon_custom_sections is not None:
+            for entry in self._config.napoleon_custom_sections:
+                if isinstance(entry, string_types):
+                    # if entry is just a label, add to sections list,
+                    # using generic section logic.
+                    self._sections[entry.lower()] = self._parse_custom_generic_section
+                else:
+                    # otherwise, assume entry is container;
+                    # [0] is new section, [1] is the section to alias.
+                    # in the case of key mismatch, just handle as generic section.
+                    self._sections[entry[0].lower()] = \
+                        self._sections.get(entry[1].lower(),
+                                           self._parse_custom_generic_section)
+
     def _parse(self):
         # type: () -> None
         self._parsed_lines = self._consume_empty()
@@ -597,6 +617,10 @@ class GoogleDocstring(UnicodeMixin):
         use_admonition = self._config.napoleon_use_admonition_for_examples
         return self._parse_generic_section(section, use_admonition)
 
+    def _parse_custom_generic_section(self, section):
+        # for now, no admonition for simple custom sections
+        return self._parse_generic_section(section, False)
+
     def _parse_usage_section(self, section):
         # type: (unicode) -> List[unicode]
         header = ['.. rubric:: Usage:', '']  # type: List[unicode]
diff --git a/tests/test_ext_napoleon_docstring.py b/tests/test_ext_napoleon_docstring.py
index 3b921ea27..73fec9eb8 100644
--- a/tests/test_ext_napoleon_docstring.py
+++ b/tests/test_ext_napoleon_docstring.py
@@ -966,6 +966,28 @@ Parameters:
         actual = str(GoogleDocstring(docstring, config))
         self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
 
+    def test_custom_generic_sections(self):
+
+        docstrings=("""\
+Really Important Details:
+    You should listen to me!
+""",
+    """.. rubric:: Really Important Details
+
+You should listen to me!
+"""),\
+     ("""\
+Sooper Warning:
+    Stop hitting yourself!
+""",""":Warns: **Stop hitting yourself!**
+""")
+
+        testConfig=Config(napoleon_custom_sections=['Really Important Details',('Sooper Warning','warns')])
+
+        for docstring, expected in docstrings:
+            actual = str(GoogleDocstring(docstring, testConfig))
+            self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+
 
 class NumpyDocstringTest(BaseDocstringTest):
     docstrings = [(